Panera Bread is pushing a new warning to customers after a wrongful death lawsuit was filed last week by the family of Sarah Katz, a University of Pennsylvania student, who died last year hours after drinking the restaurant’s Charged Lemonade drink.
The restaurant is now warning customers ordering the drink in stores and online to “use in moderation” and that the lemonade is not recommended for “children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.”
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In September 2022, Katz, who was 21 years old at the time, went into cardiac arrest hours after purchasing and consuming a 30 fluid ounce Charged Lemonade, which contains about 390 mg of caffeine, at one of Panera’s stores in Pennsylvania.
What contributed to her death was QT Type 1 Syndrome, an illness she was diagnosed with at the age of 5, according to the lawsuit. This is when potassium ion channels in the heart do not work properly which disrupts the heart’s electrical activity. Stress or exercise can cause abnormal heart rhythms in people with the syndrome.
The lawsuit alleges that the display of the Charged Lemonade at the store where Katz ordered the drink “was offered side-by-side with all of Panera’s non-caffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks.” It also states that the drink was not advertised as an “energy drink,” which further led Katz to believe that it was safe for her to consume.
The family in the lawsuit also claims that the drinks included “no warning of any potentially dangerous effects, even the life-threatening effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and/or brain function.” It also states that there was “no warning of any risks of ingesting these concentrated amounts of caffeine in connection with the stimulants and sugar.”
On Panera’s website, the drink is advertised as “plant-based,” and compares the caffeine levels of the drink with its Dark Roast Coffee. Caffeine levels in the coffee range from 161 mg to 268 mg, depending on the size. The range is less than the amount of caffeine in the Charged Lemonade which contains about 260 mg in its smallest size and 390 mg in its largest, according to the lawsuit.
The Food and Drug Administration is currently looking into Katz’s death. TheStreet has reached out to Panera for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
